Hooligans
by WalkingInSlowMotion
Summary: AU. Liam Salvatore and Jo Smith meet up after school to sit on his swing set, and Jo starts to compare and reflect on the differences between Liam's parents and her father. Dark. Klaus/unmentioned OC, Damon/Elena. Two-Shot.
1. Part 1

**A/N: **Another AU (sort of) and a future-fic. This is just an idea that was kicking around in my head, and I wanted to put it down. I'm only planning really to keep this as a one shot, just something to keep my creative juices flowing. Maybe it will grow into something more? Who knows. For the sake of this story, vampires are able to have children. Anyway, I really have no idea where this came from or why it has a bunch of angst in it, but it just turned out that way.

**Summary: **AU. Liam Salvatore and Jo Smith meet up after school to sit on his swing set, and Jo starts to compare and reflect on the differences between Liam's parents and her father. Dark. Klaus/unmentioned OC, Damon/Elena. Two-Shot.

* * *

><p><strong>Hooligans- Part One.<strong>

"_It's a hard, hard thing to come clean."_

The Salvatores had such a nice house, Liam getting a nice bedroom that his parents had painted themselves when he was just a baby in his mother's stomach. Or, at least that's what Liam tells her. Liam glances over his shoulder at her, his brown eyes sparkling with excitement.

"Jo, you should come over. My father set up a new swing set yesterday and there's two swings." he explained, Jo giving him a small smile.

"Okay." Jo agreed, thinking about how Liam had such nice parents. Elena was a very nice woman, always warm and welcoming to Jo when she would visit with Liam. Damon was funny, always throwing jokes or sarcastic quips around that made Liam laugh.

Jo's dad laughed once and a while, but it was never really in a goodhearted nature like Damon's was. It was always somewhat cruel, but Jo didn't see any problem with that. Jo never really understand why Elena and Damon, even Liam's uncle, Stefan, thought so lowly of her father. Calling him a _monster_ and _murderer_.

"Did you want to call your dad, first?" Liam asked as they walked up his block. Jo shook her head, giving Liam shrug.

"If I'm home before dark, Dad shouldn't mind." she said, adjusting the small backpack that Liam had gotten for her birthday a few days ago. Jo turning seven, Liam being eight. It was a tough birthday, Jo remembered.

She had found out about what happened to her when she was little. That her mother had all but dropped her off in her father's hands and left. Jo remembered the way her father had said it, like her mother hand handed him a stray dog instead of a child, her father(her _daddy_) taking care of her because none of her uncles would take her in.

She even learned that her last name, Smith, wasn't even her real one. Jo was happy that she didn't learn her real one, she still didn't understand why it wasn't Smith. It would just confuse her too much to learn a new one.

"Come on, Jo!" Liam called, running up to the front of his house and climbed the steps. Jo jogged to catch up as Liam opened the front door and walking inside, dropping his bag down on the floor.

"I'm home, Mom!" Liam called out, walking towards the kitchen where the door to the back yard was. Elena walked out from the kitchen, catching her son mid run and gave him a hug and a kiss on the head, running a hand through his brown hair.

"I brought Jo home," Liam said once Elena was done hugging him, "if that's okay."

"Oh, yes, that's fine." Elena said, giving Jo a smile. Jo smiled back, she loved it at Liam's. It was the one place where she felt like she was living at home. Though, sometimes, Jo would catch Elena looking at her with a sort of sad expression on her face. Jo didn't understand why Elena would feel sad, she had always guessed it was something she did.

"We're going to go outside." Liam said, looking up at his mother for permission. Elena nodded, smiling down at the two of them.

"Go right ahead, you two go play. Just be ready to come inside when your father gets home."

Liam grabbed Jo's wrist and was off as soon as she finished, pulling her along to the back yard where the swing set was. Liam stopped at a swing, sitting down on it as Jo took the one next to it.

"I love swinging." Liam said, pushing himself back and lifted his legs up as he swung forward. Jo followed what he did and started swinging also.

"So, what did you get for your birthday?" Liam asked, looking at her now. Jo stared back, letting her swing move back and forth for a bit, thinking before answering.

"That cool backpack you got me." she said, Liam chuckling.

"Well, I know that. What about the other stuff, like ones from your parents?"

Jo frowned, shaking her head. "Dad didn't come home until midnight, he didn't get me anything. But, I got a small stuffed animal from my friend at school."

It was the only other gift she got that birthday, the little stuffed cat that she loved so much. She would hide her face in it's soft fabric when she would hear things downstairs, like someone screaming. She asked her father about it, he only told her to ignore it when it happened. Still she hugged the cat when she thought she saw monsters in her closet. Sometimes she would call for her Dad, but usually never came. The cat was the next best thing.

"Your mom and dad didn't get you anything?" Liam asked, sounding like that was the most craziest thing that he had heard.

"My mom isn't around anymore, and Dad is busy most of the time." Jo said, using her father's term.

_("I don't have time to play with you and your silly games, Jo. I'm busy, go upstairs.")_

"Oh." Liam said, swinging his leg that the toe of his shoe swept across the grass. "But, isn't your Dad supposed to spend time with you?"

Jo just shrugged her shoulders, "I dunno."

"My Dad spends time with me, he says that it's important." Liam said, "you're Dad's...stupid if he doesn't."

Suddenly, Liam found himself with Jo's hands slamming into his chest, sending him falling back off the swing and onto the hard ground with a thud, Jo standing over him with an almost crazy look in her eyes.

"_My Dad is not stupid!_" Jo yelled at him, red in the face. Liam stood, upset that he had been pushed. He shoved her back, Jo stumbling a bit.

"_Well, my Dad loves me!_" he shouted, "I heard Mom talking about your Dad, and she said that he doesn't even love you! At least mine loves me!"

Jo paused, tears collecting in her eyes. "My Dad loves me." she clenched her fists, "he may not say it, but he _does_!" she heard the back door slide open, Jo couldn't stop the tears from falling down her cheeks.

"What's going on out here?" Elena asked, wide eyed at the two kids, both with dirt on their clothes and Liam had a open scrape on his shoulder.

"Jo pushed me off the swing!" Liam said, he was fighting back his tears. Jo looked from him to Elena, who was looking at her.

"Is that true, Jo?" she asked, Jo's tears still falling. She swiped a piece of blonde hair away from her eyes as she looked up at Elena, eyes narrowing.

"My father loves me! _You're wrong!_" she all but screamed, backing away. "He..." her voice trembled, wiping the tears away. Elena reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder, Jo couldn't continue, the tears falling down.

"Sure he does, who said he doesn't?" Elena was lying through her teeth, but this poor girl had been through hell and she would say anything to make her feel better.

"_You did!_" Jo yelled, swatting her hand away. "Liam told me, and you're wrong!"

"Jo-" Elena started, but the girl turned and headed towards the door. She didn't stop until she was outside the front door, closing it behind her quickly. She ran towards her home, her red and black backpack laying on the floor inside Liam's house.

* * *

><p>Jo opened the door to her house, her eyes throbbing and stinging. She closed the door behind her, biting her lip.<p>

"Dad?" she called, walking towards the living room. She paused, seeing the empty and still house. A few tears escaped from her eyes as she looked around again. "_Dad!_"

He wasn't home. The one time she really needed him, and he wasn't even home waiting for her. She fell down onto the floor, her legs tired from running as she let out a few sobs.

"_They're wrong. They're wrong!_" she cried to the empty house, hugging her knees to her chest as she closed her eyes. He loved her, he never did anything to show it, but he did. She was sure of it. Liam was stupid. His parents were stupid. Stupid Liam getting a band-aid and a kiss on the shoulder to make him feel better while Jo fell asleep on the floor for her father to find a few hours later.

Liam was stupid because he was loved. His family was stupid because they loved him, and Jo didn't know what that felt like.


	2. Part 2

**A/N: **Okay, so I said I might continue this, and I decided to make it a two-shot. But, I'm not done with this idea yet, that's for certain. So, I'm going to put up another story of interconnecting one-shots of the next generation of kids and their parents, that should be up tomorrow hopefully. It's hard to write a daddy!Klaus without making him completely out of character, but I tried pretty hard to try and keep him close to how he's portrayed on the show. Let me know how I did! :P Thank you all for the alerts, favourites and reviews!

**Side note: **Part two of this was inspired by tonight's episode, a virtual cookie to those who can pick out the scene that inspired this last part. And the whole story was inspired by the song _Hooligans_ by _Neighbours_. :)

**Summary: **AU. Liam Salvatore and Jo Smith meet up after school to sit on his swing set, and Jo starts to compare and reflect on the differences between Liam's parents and her father. Dark. Klaus/unmentioned OC, Damon/Elena. Two-Shot.

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><p><strong>Hooligans – Part Two.<strong>

"_Expose your weakness."_

The last thing she remembered was sitting on the kitchen floor, her eyes heavy and puffy from crying. How she got to her bed was beyond her, but she lay under the covers with her stuffed cat laying on the pillow beside her head.

And a box.

Jo sat up groggily, a frown on her face as she pulled the cardboard box towards her. It wasn't very big, only a little larger than her hand. There was a note attached to it, her eyes reading over the cursive writing.

_From Dad._

She flipped it over, a few lines written there.

_Should have gotten this to you two days ago, I apologize for that. Happy Birthday, Jo. _

_P.S. Out of all the places to sleep, why the kitchen floor?_

Jo sighed, she wanted to feel angry that he hadn't bothered to tell her that he remembered, but she was too surprised and happy to be angry.

He remembered!

Jo peeled back the flap on the cardboard, opening it and pulled out the stuffed dog. No, it was a plush wolf.

She looked it over, a smile crossing her face. She ran her hands over the fabric of the stuffed animal, loving it already. She glanced at the alarm clock on her nightstand, exactly an hour before school started. She didn't want to be around Liam, still very upset with him, but she needed to go. She pulled the covers back and changed into a fresh pair of clothes, and got ready to head out.

But, her backpack was gone. Jo felt the sinking feeling in her stomach when she realized that she left it at Liam's. That meant that she would have to confront him to get it back, something she wasn't going to do.

She tucked the wolf under her arm, deciding to take it with her. It would give Liam some sort of proof, and she wanted to be the one that won the argument this time.

* * *

><p>Jo walked the few blocks to school, her stuffed wolf tucked under her arm. She didn't know why, but she didn't want to be without it. She reached the grade school after an hour of walking, entering the school. The halls were a little crowded, the bell was a few minutes from going off.<p>

"Jo." someone called from behind her, Jo not needing to turn around to know who it was. Liam walked up beside her, the black and red backpack hanging from his hand. "You forgot this."

"Thanks." Jo muttered, pulling the bag out of his grasp and opened it, tucking the wolf into the bag.

"What's with the dog?" Liam asked, Jo looking up as she finished zipping up the bag.

"It's a wolf, actually." Jo said, throwing her bag over her shoulder. "My dad gave it to me."

Liam shrugged, looking at his feet. "I'm sorry for pushing you and hurting you by saying mean things about you and your dad."

Jo sighed, nodding her head. "It's okay. I'm sorry for pushing you off the swing."

Liam smiled, "Apology accepted. Friends?"

"Yeah." Jo said with a smile, the two of them heading off to their classroom.

* * *

><p>School had finally ended, Liam and Jo heading down his block. Liam was talking animatedly about the kickball game in gym, but Jo was lost in her train of thought. She had forgiven Liam, but she was still pretty hurt by what he had said.<p>

"_At least my dad loves me!"_

Jo frowned, she had to wonder if the birthday present was really a way of showing he cared, or did he do it because he felt that he had to do it.

_What if Liam is right? _Jo asked herself, _what if Dad is a cruel monster? _

"Jo?" Liam asked suddenly, causing Jo to come out of her thoughts and look at him.

"What?" she asked, her voice shaking.

"You're crying." he stated, "did you hurt yourself?"

Jo touched her eyes, feeling the wetness gathering there. "N-no. I'm okay."

"You sure?"

Jo nodded, the two of them stopping at his front yard. She wondered if she wanted to stay at his house for a bit, but she really wanted to see if her father was at home. She wanted to ask him a few questions.

"I'll see you Monday." Jo said quickly, Liam nodding as he adjusted his backpack.

"Okay, I'll see you Monday." Liam said, turning and headed down his sidewalk. Jo stood at the end of the yard for a few moments, frowning before she turned and continued on her way home.

She wanted answers. She needed to know.

It was a while until Jo climbed the steps to her house, opening the door and set her bag down. Her gut wrenched when she saw her father moving around in the living room. He looked up when she closed the door behind her, giving her a sort of playful smile.

"Welcome home." he said as Jo walked past him into the kitchen, placing her bag down on the floor behind a couch.

"What, no hug?" he asked, Jo looking up at him with a scowl. She didn't know if she wanted to ask him anything, really. Maybe she would just thank him for the present and head upstairs to do her homework. But, she felt the words leaving her mouth before she could bite them back.

"Do you love me?" she asked, looking up at him as she stuck his hands into his jean's pockets. He seemed to look down at her with an odd expression, like she had asked him what sex he was, or some stupid question like that.

"Well, it's said that parents love their kids unconditionally." he said, "so the answer is pretty obvious. Why do you ask?"

"Liam told me that he heard his parents talking about you. That he said that you didn't love me." Jo muttered, starting to regret asking him at all. She should have just thanked him for the wolf and went upstairs.

"Ah, that Salvatore boy." he said, a smile crossing his face. "Did I tell you not to listen to them?"

"Yeah." Jo sighed, "but, he called you stupid."

"Oh, did he?" Klaus chuckled at the idea of an eight year old calling him stupid. "And how did you handle that."

"I shoved him off the swing." Jo said, "he got hurt, so he shoved me back. Then he told me that his father loved him, and that you didn't love me. I got upset and left."

"And you fell asleep on the kitchen floor?"

Jo smiled slightly, "yeah, I was tired."

"Hm. Well, you listen to me, Joanna." he placed a hand on her shoulder, making her look up at him. "You don't listen to what Liam tells you about me, do you understand?"

Jo nodded, her eyes locked on his.

"And to answer your question, yes, I do." he placed a hand on her head, "don't let those Salvatores tell you otherwise."

Jo smiled, feeling relieved. "Okay."

"Good. How did you like the wolf?"

"I love the wolf."

It wasn't until a few years later until she realized the irony behind the stuffed wolf, but for now she loved the stuffed animal more than anything else she owned, even the cat.


End file.
